Morningstar - Q3 2021 - 87

started making pennies out of steel, coating
them in zinc.
" Our business is built on the same spirit, " Geletka
says. " We're trying to help you think about
money from an innovative perspective in terms of
that it can help you reach your goals, and
that money is not an end in itself. It's also the
smallest denomination of money-what is
more simple than a penny? "
The name is a break from industry nomenclature.
" I've never loved the term wealth management,
because a lot of the people I work with don't
consider themselves wealthy, but they still need to
meet with a financial advisor, " Geletka says.
She leaves the investing part of the business to
third parties, such as Brinker Capital Investments,
Envestnet, and Morningstar Managed Portfolios.
Her father has money in Morningstar's
Tortoise portfolio, which invests in undervalued
companies with durable competitive advantages
and strong balance sheets. Her husband
owns the firm's Hare portfolio, which uses a
growth-at-a-reasonable-price approach
to invest in companies with strong and growing
competitive advantages. " That's fun to
watch, " she says.
Geletka also serves on the Morningstar
Advisory Board, which is composed of financial
advisors who give product feedback.
Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC, is the founder and
managing partner of Silver Penny Financial Planning.
How she caught our eye: An accomplished advisor
who has built a firm that caters to all levels of wealth.
Career path: Obtained her degree from North
Carolina State University, graduating summa cum
laude in 2003 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in
communications and Spanish language and literature.
After working a year as a claims adjuster, she got
a job as a retirement consultant at Lincoln
Financial Group, selling plans to college professors.
She started working as an advisor at her father's
firm, Cowan & Kohne Financial Group, in 2007, and
would eventually buy his book of business in 2017,
renaming it Silver Penny.
Personal: Married, with two kids, ages 7 and 11. She
serves as a board member for the Young Life
Atlanta Project, a faith-based organization aimed at
helping adolescents. The group's Developing Future
Leaders is a leadership program that aids young adults
of color who want to make an impact as leaders
in their communities. She also loves to play tennis and
collect sand from beaches around the world.
Favorite investments: Exchange-traded funds,
for their low cost, broad exposure, favorable tax
treatment, and intraday trading.
Geletka's focus on coaching, planning, and
empowering goes a long way with her
female clients. It's something to note in a field
where men still make up 77% of all Certified
Financial Planners, according to the Certified
Financial Planner Board of Standards.
" Women investors no longer want to be told what
to do by an 'expert.' They want to be engaged
in the process, " Geletka says.
Regardless of gender, that must resonate
with clients. K
Charles Keenan is a freelance financial journalist.
Photography by Lynsey Weatherspoon.
morningstar.com/lp/magazine
87
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Morningstar - Q3 2021

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